cityrebel Posted February 7, 2018 Report Share Posted February 7, 2018 37 minutes ago, racers and royals said: Do you mean the Dore family when they sold it to Stadia UK ? If so they had hardly spent a penny on it for many a year and it needed a lot of money spent- which Stadia UK did spend. Why didn't stadia UK build two new grandstands at smallmead, like what is being planned at Swindon. It had good road links and a perfectly shaped track. Surely better and cheaper than relocating to the proposed 'racino'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racers and royals Posted February 7, 2018 Report Share Posted February 7, 2018 (edited) 8 minutes ago, cityrebel said: Why didn't stadia UK build two new grandstands at smallmead, like what is being planned at Swindon. It had good road links and a perfectly shaped track. Surely better and cheaper than relocating to the proposed 'racino'. Not really because they were hoping the "Racino " would fund most of the build. plus the lease was running out. Edited February 7, 2018 by racers and royals 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lastword Posted February 7, 2018 Report Share Posted February 7, 2018 On 03/02/2018 at 8:13 PM, Stoke Potter said: You need some info from the promotion on all the dimensions of the new track, has this been forthcoming yet?? Just seen this debate for the first time so forgive me if this has already been stated, but on the plans it seems to indicate a speedway track of 320 metres. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cheese Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 Gets a brief mention in this article on Torquay United's future - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42958113 Has it ever been confirmed that someone at Swindon has actually seen these parts of the stadium in the car park in Wales? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liontamer Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 It's time all stadium owners, whatever the sport, worked together to keep this slimey vermin Osborne well away. Swindon's new stadium already built & in storage my arse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted February 8, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 20 minutes ago, Liontamer said: It's time all stadium owners, whatever the sport, worked together to keep this slimey vermin Osborne well away. Swindon's new stadium already built & in storage my arse. ...we had to put up with him at Cowley back during the middle seventies when thankfully the stadium was saved from development after his departure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Shoe Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 On 2/7/2018 at 12:29 PM, cityrebel said: The new Swindon proposals sound ideal, if they happen. They sound far from ideal to me. The close proximity of housing being only one of them and considering when the farewell meeting was held it hardly inspires confidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Shoe Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 On 2/7/2018 at 2:38 PM, cityrebel said: Why didn't stadia UK build two new grandstands at smallmead, like what is being planned at Swindon. Why would they invest in a stadium (Smallmead) with such a short lease remaining? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grachan Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 24 minutes ago, Hot Shoe said: Why would they invest in a stadium (Smallmead) with such a short lease remaining? I believe the lease was shortened because they never invested in the stadium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humphrey Appleby Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 On 07/02/2018 at 2:38 PM, cityrebel said: Why didn't stadia UK build two new grandstands at smallmead, like what is being planned at Swindon. It had good road links and a perfectly shaped track. Surely better and cheaper than relocating to the proposed 'racino'. Smallmead essentially ended-up being a traffic island with all the new development around. A dilapidated stadium was totally incongruous with the surroundings, quite aside from the lease issues. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted February 8, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 43 minutes ago, Humphrey Appleby said: Smallmead essentially ended-up being a traffic island with all the new development around. A dilapidated stadium was totally incongruous with the surroundings, quite aside from the lease issues. ...which was a shame because the original concept had great potential when first built back in 1974. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hot Shoe Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 3 hours ago, Grachan said: I believe the lease was shortened because they never invested in the stadium. I understood that the lease was shortened long before Stadia UK took over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve roberts Posted February 8, 2018 Author Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 4 minutes ago, Hot Shoe said: I understood that the lease was shortened long before Stadia UK took over. According to Reg Fearman in his book the lease was 're-negotiated' during the Bill Dore/Pat Bliss era if I remember off the top of my head...good read by the way! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Humphrey Appleby Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 1 minute ago, steve roberts said: According to Reg Fearman in his book the lease was 're-negotiated' during the Bill Dore/Pat Bliss era if I remember off the top of my head...good read by the way! The site was supposed to have been fenced, amongst other things, as a condition of the long lease. That wasn't done, so the lease was substantially shortened which became particularly problematic when the area became desirable for redevelopment. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedy swindon pete Posted February 8, 2018 Report Share Posted February 8, 2018 Osbourne must just be playing the long game on this. He’ll get his way eventually as long as the council are too stupid to realise what he’s doing. All he’s doing is slowly suffocating the appeal for the new stadium. Constant delays and changes to the plan means the space around the stadium is slowly being taken up by housing. As long as that keeps happening he’ll be happy. Keeping the existing stadium where it is and shortening the track means that if he is forced to have to create the new facility, it will be cheap to build and the building probably barely permenant if they are using these fabled prefab blocks. We could see action in the new stadium, but the likely problems with parking and probable complaints coming from the residents will make the stadium’s existence untenable. The facility will be closed and razzed for yet more houses, just what he wanted all along. I should imagine the inconvenience of going through with a half arsed stadium build will be small change compared to the income from eventually developing it for housing. For as long as the new plans for the site have gaping logical holes in them, this is what I think is happening. Osbourne is a complete snake, everyone should know that by now and not trust him as far as you can throw him. The BBC article on Torquay basically confirms it. Trouble is the plight of the robins isn’t a big enough story for the bbc or any national journalism, and the local paper and jounos such a saccharine bunch of press release re-hashers, that there’s no one about to do some proper investigitive journalism on it and ask some awkward questions. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bavarian Posted February 9, 2018 Report Share Posted February 9, 2018 The Stadium, as is planned, may be o.k. for the needs of greyhoud racing, but is not suited very well for speedway spectators. The viewing will be poor, not enough seats available, and there is going to be problems with not enough car parking. All this will spoil the enjoyment for many to attend a speedway meeting at Swindon. People will slowly but surely dift away, until attendance figures will fall too low for the speedway promoters to keep it going, and the Robins will be history. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whisperer Posted February 9, 2018 Report Share Posted February 9, 2018 4 hours ago, Bavarian said: The Stadium, as is planned, may be o.k. for the needs of greyhoud racing, but is not suited very well for speedway spectators. The viewing will be poor, not enough seats available, and there is going to be problems with not enough car parking. All this will spoil the enjoyment for many to attend a speedway meeting at Swindon. People will slowly but surely dift away, until attendance figures will fall too low for the speedway promoters to keep it going, and the Robins will be history. Well this is just brilliant news, the splithole at Blunsdon that people have been complaining about for yonks is going to fail because it will be a modern facility with clean toilets, better lighting and comfortable surroundings - best we rebuild all the derelict stadiums from yesteryear and the sport will thrive ! The Speedway has been propped up for years, this is an opportunity to increase attendance and consequently reduce the risk of closure surely? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orion Posted February 9, 2018 Report Share Posted February 9, 2018 (edited) On 08/02/2018 at 11:21 PM, Speedy swindon pete said: Osbourne must just be playing the long game on this. He’ll get his way eventually as long as the council are too stupid to realise what he’s doing. All he’s doing is slowly suffocating the appeal for the new stadium. Constant delays and changes to the plan means the space around the stadium is slowly being taken up by housing. As long as that keeps happening he’ll be happy. Keeping the existing stadium where it is and shortening the track means that if he is forced to have to create the new facility, it will be cheap to build and the building probably barely permenant if they are using these fabled prefab blocks. We could see action in the new stadium, but the likely problems with parking and probable complaints coming from the residents will make the stadium’s existence untenable. The facility will be closed and razzed for yet more houses, just what he wanted all along. I should imagine the inconvenience of going through with a half arsed stadium build will be small change compared to the income from eventually developing it for housing. For as long as the new plans for the site have gaping logical holes in them, this is what I think is happening. Osbourne is a complete snake, everyone should know that by now and not trust him as far as you can throw him. The BBC article on Torquay basically confirms it. Trouble is the plight of the robins isn’t a big enough story for the bbc or any national journalism, and the local paper and jounos such a saccharine bunch of press release re-hashers, that there’s no one about to do some proper investigitive journalism on it and ask some awkward questions. The classic bit about Torquay is that why on earth would Osbourne want to be a football chairman ! he has little love for any sport at all ...how times can this bloke keep pulling the same strokes at every sports venture he is involved in ..but still no matter how many times he does it you still have people believing him when he puts out yet another false statement ...I find it completely amazing . And even worst you have people high up in Swindon having a go at any supporter whe dares to doubt Osborne Clark ! and even worst is how the local media have let him off lightly when they taking him to task and start asking questions .. Edited February 9, 2018 by orion 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedy swindon pete Posted February 9, 2018 Report Share Posted February 9, 2018 13 minutes ago, Whisperer said: Well this is just brilliant news, the splithole at Blunsdon that people have been complaining about for yonks is going to fail because it will be a modern facility with clean toilets, better lighting and comfortable surroundings - best we rebuild all the derelict stadiums from yesteryear and the sport will thrive ! The Speedway has been propped up for years, this is an opportunity to increase attendance and consequently reduce the risk of closure surely? I think you’re missing the point. We’re not complaining at the propect of a new stadium. If it were clearly a legitimate venture , swindon fans and hopefully the town in general would be bouncing about with anticipation of it being completed. But there’s been so much smoke and mirrors over the last 12(?!) years of this supposed plan (of which remember, didn’t even include the new stadium at all at the start. Osbourne has clearly never had any interest in the stadium being there), you can’t see it ever being a realistic success. The revised plans should be bringing reassurance that this is all going ahead, however, the history of the project, Osbourne being the slimiest, slug of a man over many years now and numerous plot holes in the logic of how the site has been redeveloped, the plans just look like another delaying tactic to enable more land around the site to be swallowed up by houses. The actual plans for the stadium whilst looking nice and modern at a quick glance, are so light on detail and seemingly less than ideal for speedway, you can’t help but feel that even if the council force Osbourne into creating the stadium, it’s going to designed to fail, straight off the bat. A couple of years of complaints from residents and apathy from the public, Osbourne is left with exactly what he wanted in the first place. A stadium that no one really wants on a prime piece of land for house development. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsunami Posted February 9, 2018 Report Share Posted February 9, 2018 19 minutes ago, Speedy swindon pete said: I think you’re missing the point. We’re not complaining at the propect of a new stadium. If it were clearly a legitimate venture , swindon fans and hopefully the town in general would be bouncing about with anticipation of it being completed. But there’s been so much smoke and mirrors over the last 12(?!) years of this supposed plan (of which remember, didn’t even include the new stadium at all at the start. Osbourne has clearly never had any interest in the stadium being there), you can’t see it ever being a realistic success. The revised plans should be bringing reassurance that this is all going ahead, however, the history of the project, Osbourne being the slimiest, slug of a man over many years now and numerous plot holes in the logic of how the site has been redeveloped, the plans just look like another delaying tactic to enable more land around the site to be swallowed up by houses. The actual plans for the stadium whilst looking nice and modern at a quick glance, are so light on detail and seemingly less than ideal for speedway, you can’t help but feel that even if the council force Osbourne into creating the stadium, it’s going to designed to fail, straight off the bat. A couple of years of complaints from residents and apathy from the public, Osbourne is left with exactly what he wanted in the first place. A stadium that no one really wants on a prime piece of land for house development. The answer is to welcome what is on offer, and support it when you get it, then nobody will see grounds to close it. Don't forget if Speedway was stopped, it's probable that the dogs wouldn't pay and they would lose the lucrative BAGS contracts for relayed afternoon racing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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